Public Defender: Hate speech not freedom of expression

13:31, 25.01.2025

“Regrettably, a narrow group of people uses hate speech and offence to pressure me and the Public Defender’s Office employees and I said openly that this will not prevail,” said Levan Ioseliani, Georgian Public Defender in Actual Topic with Maka Tsintsadze Program of the GPB’s First Channel.

According to Levan Ioseliani, “hate speech has never been and will never be freedom of expression.”

He said, hate speech would not influence his positioning or viewpoints.

On the question of how the Public Defender would assess the health state of Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, whom he had visited in the penitentiary facility, Levan Ioseliani said he could not disclose personal information but the prisoner’s health was normal.

“She talked to me about all issues, which were interesting for me and her. The conversation took place in the detention cell and I inspected her conditions,” he said.

Levan Ioseliani remarked that imprisonment was the gravest form of punitive measure and it was quite possible to impose bail or another form on Mzia Amaglobeli as a restraint measure.

By - Elene Dobordjginidze

Politics

Mzia Amaglobeli

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